Why entrepreneurial
mindset/behaviors are important to our students, faculty - all of us in
higher education:
According to the
Department of Labor, 65% of students who entered school in 2015 will work in
jobs that have not yet been created. With this in mind, we need to go far
beyond delivery of course content and offer students experiences that
prepare them for the dynamic global economy (not for the jobs of the past).
When some individuals
hear terms like "entrepreneurship", they think of classes within the
business department. But, entrepreneurial mindset and behaviors are
consistent with descriptions of 21st century work skills addressing attribute
development such as self-efficacy, agency/proactive behavior,
curiosity/creativity and solving problems/creating solutions in uncertain
environments with limited resources. It is not about knowing, it
is a way of being and skills in doing.
In the past, educators
were valued primarily for their subject matter expertise but according to Joseph
Aoun's book "Robot-Proof: Higher education in the age of artificial
intelligence", pedagogy will have to be innovated if we are going to
provide relevant educational experiences for our 21st century learners.
To accomplish meaningful changes in cultures of higher education that will
drive that innovation, we too need to develop our entrepreneurial capabilities.
(Thank you, Rob, for sharing
Aoun’s book with us!)
